Lubricating device for sewing machines



Sel-at. 18, 1945. F. PARRY LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed April ll, 1942 me/Mm www 2 Sheets-Sheet l LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed April l1, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gran@ awy Patented Sept. 18, 1945 LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR SEWING MAomNEs Y Frank Parry, Bridgeport, Conn., assgnor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N, J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application April 11, 1942, Serial No.

1943, Serial No. 490,733

This invention relates to lubricating devices for sewing machines and has for an object to provide conveniently disconnectible Vlubricantconducting connections between a lubricantsupply reservoir and the thread-carrier raceway of a sewing machine rotary loop-taker.

Another object of this invention -is to provide a work-arm type of sewing machine with simple means for delivering lubricant to bearings, including the thread-carrier bearing of a rotary loop-taker, disposed within tliework-arm of the machine.

Other and more specific objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.

This application is a division of my prior patent application Ser. No. 438,516, filed April l1, 1942, now matured into Patent No. 2,333,438, dated November 2, 1943; the present invention consisting in the lubricating devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings,- which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in vertical section, of a work-arm type of sewing machine containing the present improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section longitudinally of the free end portion of the work-arm; the section being taken in substantially the vertical plane containing the axis of rotation of the loop-taker shaft. Fig. Brepresents an enlarged cross-section of the work-arm on substantially the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a tranverse section of the work-arm on substantially the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged top-plan view of the work-arm broken away from its supporting base; the throat-plate and cover-plates being removed from the work-arm and the workarm end-cap being shown in section.

As illustrated in the drawings, the sewing machine has a hollow supporting base IIJ, from which extends a horizontally disposed worksupporting arm II of the cylinder-bed type having a free outer end; said work-supporting arm being preferably integral with the base I0. Rising from the base IB is the hollow standard I2 of a bracket-arm I3 which terminates at its free end. in a head I4 overhanging-the freeend of the work-arm I I.

Rotatably journaled in the bracket-arm I3 is a horizontally disposed rotary actuating or main shaft I5 suitably connected to impart endwise reciprocatory movements to a vertically disposed needle-bar I6 carrying .at its lower end an eyeto the loop-taker.

Divided and this application June 14,

pointed needle I1. Also supported by the bracket-arm head I4 for endwise movement vis the usual vertically disposed and spring-depressed presser-bar I8 carrying at its lower end a presservfoot I9.

Complemental to the needle I1, in theformation of lock-stitches, is a rotary loop-taker 20 of the horizontal-axis rotary hook type disposed within the work-arm II at the free end. thereof. The loop-taker 20 has a cylindrical side wall 2l and an end wall 22 from which extends a reduced hub 23 having a shaft-aperture 24 closed atthe inner side of the end wall 22 by a disk 25 set into the end wall 22. The side wall 2I of the loop-taker is partly cut away to provide a needlethread loop seizing beak 26; said side Wall 2| being also internally grooved circumferentially to provide a raceway 21. J ournaled in the raceway 21 is. the peripheral bearing-rib 28 of a thread-carrier v29. The thread-carrier 29houses the usual thread-case 30 which contains a mass of under thread about .which the needle-thread loops are cast by the loop-taker. The threadw carrier 29 is restrained` against rotation with the loop-taker and to thatend the thread-carrier is provided with a lug `3| having the usual stopnotch entered by a stationary stop-,lug 32. The hub-aperture 24 has the usual lubricant-conducting connections with theAraceway 21; said connections comprising a radial duct 35 formed in the end wall 22 of the loop-taker and open to an axially extending duct 36 in the looptaker side Wall 2|. V

The hub 23 of the loop-taker is secured by screws, as 31, upon the reduced end o f a hori- Zontally disposed loop-taker shaft-38 extending lengthwise of the work-arm II. The end .of the shaft 38 is preferably spaced from the disk 25 of the loop-taker end wall, thereby to provide the loop-taker with a lubricant-collecting cavity beyond the end of the shaft and open to the radial duct 35 which is connected with the looptaker raceway. l l

As illustrated more particularly in Fig. 2`of the drawings, the loop-taker shaft 38 is'rotatably journaled in a needle-roller bearing 39 disposed directly adjacent the hub 23 of the loop-taker, whereby the shaft 38 is adequately supported close The roller-'bearing 39 .is disposed within and carried by a bushing 40. having the longitudinal shaft-opening 40 thereof slightly larger, diametrically, than the shaft 38, whereby the inner face of the bushing is spaced slightly from the shaft. The bushing 40 is sutablylsecured in a horizontal hole 4I formed in a trans- Verse wall -42 of the work-arm II near the free end thereof.

At its opposite end, the loop-taker shaft 38 is journaled in a ball-bearing 43 supported by a lug 44 depending from the upper wall of the base I9. Carried by the shaft 38 within the base E9 is a belt-pulley 45 connected by a clip-belt 46, extending through the arm-standard I2, to a beltpulley 41 carried by the main or bracket-arm shaft I5. The pulleys 45 and 41 are proportioned so that the loop-taker shaft 38 rotates twice for each rotation of the main shaft I5, and the looptaker shaft 38 is located in the work-arm so that the axes of rotation of the shafts I5 and 38 are disposed in a common vertical plane. Between its ends, the loop-taker shaft 38 passes freely through a bushing 48 secured by a screw 49 in another transverse wall 58 of the work-arm; said wall 58 being located at the juncture of the base I0 and work-arm I|. A collar 5I is secured upon the shaft 38 to engage one end of the bushing, thereby to restrain said shaft against endwise movement in one direction.

The work is advanced across the Work-arm Il by a drop-feed feed-dog 52, operating through a suitably slotted and attened portion of a throatplate 53 having a needle-aperture 54; said throatplate being suitably secured upon the work-arm. The feed-dog 52 overhangs the loop-taker 20 and is secured by -screws 56 upon the upper end of an upright feed-bar 51 having a. clearance opening 58 for the end portion of the bushing 49 which supports the roller-bearing 39; said feed-bar 51 being disposed directly adjacent to the looptaker hub 23. Y

The lower end of the feed-bar 51 has a horizontally apertured split sleeve 59 disposed below the loop-taker 20 and clamped by a screw 69 upon a fulcrum-pin 6I which lengthwise extends parallel to the loop-taker shaft 38 and is preferably disposed vertically below said shaft. The opposite ends of the fulcrum-pin 6| are pivotally journaled in a feed-lift rocker comprising horizontally spaced arms 62 and 63 suitably carried by one end of a feed-lift rock-shaft 64 disposed substantially parallel to the loop-taker shaftV 38 and rearward of the vertical plane containing the axis of rotation of said shaft 38. At its forward end, the feed-lift rock-shaft 64 is journaled in a bearing-bushing 65 suitably secured in an aperture in the transverse wall 42 of the work-arm. At its opposite end, the rock-shaft 64 is journaled in a bushing B6 carried by the frame wall 58.

-Extending toward the wall 42 laterally from the upper end of the feed-bar 51 is a supporting pin 61 of a pivot-block 68. The pivot-block 68 is slidingly disposed in an upwardly open rectangular guideway 69 provided in a feed-advance rocker 18. The feed-advance rocker 19 extends upwardly from one end of a feed-advance rockshaft 1| which is also disposed substantially parallel to the loop-taker shaft 38 and axially in the vertical plane containing the rotation-axes of the arm-shaft I5 and the loop-taker shaft 38. Adjacent the rocker 19, the feed-advance rock-shaft 1I is journaled, in a bushing 12 suitably secured in the wall 42 of the work-arm. At its opposite end, the feed-advance rock-shaft 1I is journaled in a bushing 13 carried by the frame wall 59.

The feed-advance rock-shaft 1I and the feedlift rock-shaft 64 derive their actuation from a primary feed-actuating shaft 14 having one end thereof journaled in a bearing-bushing 'I5 suitably secured in the lower portion of the workarm wall 50. The opposite end of the shaft 14 iS journaled in a ball-bearing 16 supported by a base-wall 11. Adjacent the ball-bearing 16, the rotary shaft 14 carries a belt-pulley 18 connected by a clip-belt 19 to a pulley 80 carried by the main or arm-shaft I5; said pulleys 'I8 and 89 being proportioned so that the shafts |5 and 14 rotate in one-to-one relation. The feed-actuating shaft 14 is disposed vertically below the looptaker shaft 38 so that its axis of rotation is contained in the vertical plane containing the axes of rotation of the main-shaft I5 and the looptaker shaft 38.

The feed-actuating shaft 14 carries an adjustable feed-advance eccentric 8| and a feed-lift eccentric 82, both disposed between the frame walls 59 and 11; said eccentrics being embraced by straps of pitmans 83 and 84, respectively. As more fully described in my prior patent application Serial No. 438,516, the pitmans 83 and 84 are operatively connected to the rock-shafts 1I and 64 to impart work-advancing movements to the feed-dog 52.

A segmental end-cap 85 is removablyapplied to the work-arm I I to enclose the lower and front end portions thereof; the end wall of said endcap having an opening 86 to provide for removal of the thread-case 30 without requiring removal of the end-cap. The base I0 of the machine is preferably supported by a sub-base 81 of any suitable height.

As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the transverse wall 42 of the work-arm II is provided at the rearward side thereof with an upwardly open and forwardly inclined lubricantpocket or primary lubricant-supply reservoir 88; the open upper end of the reservoir 88 being disposed below and spaced from the flattened portion of a cover-plate 89 which is removably secured by screws 90 upon the work-arm wall 42. Between the cover-plate 89 and the throat-plate 53, another and similarly shaped cover-plate 9| is suitably secured upon the work-arm I to provide for access to the feed-mechanism below said cover-plate 9|. Lubricant may be supplied to the reservoir 88 through an aperture 92 provided in the cover-plate 89.

Disposed in the reservoir 88 is a lubricant-conducting wick 93 extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the reservoir to the open upper end thereof. Adapted disconnectibly to engage the upper end portion of the wick 93 is one limb of a bent connection-wick 94, of which the other limb extends downwardly through a pivot-sleeve 35 free for turning movement in an upwardly open aperture 96 formed in the wall 42 vertically above the bushing 49. The pivot-sleeve has a short crank-arm 91 extending laterally from said` pivot-sleeve beyond the edge of the cover-plate 89 so as to be accessible externally of the workarm for manually turning the pivot-sleeve, thereby to provide for at will shifting the connectionwick 94 into and out of engagement with the wick 93; it being understood that the connectionwick 94 is carried by the pivot-sleeve 95 to turn therewith. The lower end of the connectionwick 94 extends downwardly from the pivot-sleeve 95 through a radial aperture 98 in the bushing 49, thereby to deliver lubricant into the shaftopening 49 of the bushing 49 when the wicks 93 and 94 are in engagement with each other.

Within the bushing 40, the loop-taker shaft 38 is externally provided with a spiral lubricantimpelling thread 99 disposed directly below the bushing-aperture 98 and leading to a radial aperture |00 in the shaft 38. The shaft 38 is bearing 39.

additionally provided with an opPOsitely spirall ling lubricant-impolling thread at the opposite side of and also leading to the shaft-aperture |00. The shaft-aperture |00 opens into a longitudinal bore |02 of the` shaft 38; said bore being open at the end of the shaft withinthe hub 23 of the loop-taker.

The wick 93 serves to feed lubricant from the reservoir 88 to the connection-wick 94 when said wicks are in Contact with each other. The wick 94 feeds the lubricant into the bushing 40, and the spiral thread 99 impels the lubricant, thus supplied thereto, lengthwise of the shaft 38 to the shaft-aperture |00. The counter-spiralling thread |0| guards against escape of excess lubricant from the end of the bushing 40 adjacent the loop-taker, while permitting a modicum of the lubricant to find its way to the needle-roller The lubricant thus supplied tothe hub-cavity 24 is delivered to the raceway 21 of the loop-taker in the usual manner.

The work-arm wall 42 is provided with a lubricant-duct |03 connecting the reservoir 08 with the bushing-hole 4| of said wall; the bushing 40 having a circumferential groove |04 located to receive lubricant passing through the duct |03. Another duct |05 in alinement with the duct |03, is provided in the wall 42 and connects the bushing-hole 4| with a supplemental lubricant-reservoir |06 comprising an upwardly open and substantially vertical pocket formed in the wall 42 below the cover-plate 89.

Extending from and through a side wall aperture of the supplemental reservoir |09 is a lubricant-conducting wick |01 having the opposite end thereof entering a radial aperture |08 of the feed-lift rock-shaft 04 beyond the end of the bushing 65. The radial shaft-aperture |08 opens into a longitudinal bore |09 of the shaft 64, through which shaft-bore lubricant is supplied to additional radial ducts H0 of the shaft 04 within said bushing 05. Another wick extends from the supplemental reservoir |00, through a side wall aperture of said reservoir and into the open end of a longitudinal bore ||2 0f the feed-advance rock-shaft 1|; said bore ||2 being connected by suitable radial shaft-apertures with the bearing-face of the bushing 12 in which one end portion of the shaft 1| is journaled.

The supplemental reservoir |06 has a third side wall aperture into which extends one end of a tubular lubricant-conduit ||3 lengthwise inclined downwardly from said reservoir. The opposite end of the conduit H3 overhangs a catch-basin at the free end of a short tube ||4 supported in an aperture of the work-arm wall 50 to extend horizontally from said wall. An aperture of the tube |4 is connected by suitable ducts, provided in the wall 50 and in the bushing 15, with the bearing-opening ||5 of said bushing 15; said bearing-opening ||5 being closed at the work-arm side of the bushing 15 by a suitable plug |6 spaced slightly from the end of the shaft l14. The shaft 14 is provided with a longitudinal bore ||1 and with suitable radial apertures connecting said bore with the bearings of the straps of the pitmans 83 and 84 which embrace the feed-lift eccentric 82 and the feed-advance eccentric 8|.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that when lubricant is supplied through the aperture 92 of the work-arm cover-plate 8 9 to the primary lubricant-reservoir 00, the lubricant rising in the reservoir 88 will flow through the duct |03 to `the circumferential bushinggroove |04 and then through the duct |05 into the supplemental reservoir |06. AS the lubricant rises in the reservoir |06, it flows through the conduit ||3 to the described lubricant-conducting connections with the bore I1 of the feedactuating shaft for delivery to the pitman strap bearings of the feed-lift and feed-advance eccentrics carried by the shaft 14.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a sewing machine having a frame including a wall provided with a lubricant-supply reservoir, a rotary shaft journaled in said frame and provided longitudinally thereof with a bore, a lloop-taker carried by one end of said shaft and having a thread-carrier raceway, said bore having lubricant-conducting connections with said raceway, a primary lubricant-conducting wick disposed in said reservoir, a sleeve journaled for turning movement in said frame, a connectionwick carried by said sleeve for turning movement therewith, said connection-wick having oneend thereof extending laterally from said sleeve and disposed for engagement with said primary wick, and lubricant-conducting connections between the other end of said wick and the bore of said shaft.

2. In a sewing machine having a frame including a work-supporting arm free at one end thereof, said arm having a wall provided with a lubricant-supply reservoir, a shaft rotatably journaled in said arm and longitudinally provided with a bore, a loop-taker carried by one end of said shaft and having a thread-carrier raceway, said bore having lubricant-conducting connections with said raceway, separable lubricant-conducting wicks including a shiftable connection-Wick between said reservoir and the bore of said shaft, and manually operable means including an arm accessible exteriorly of said work-supporting arm for shifting said connection-wick out of and into effective lubricant-conducting position.

3. In a sewing machine having a frame including a work-supporting arm free at one end thereof, said arm having a wall provided with a lubricant-supply reservoir, a cover-plate detachaly secured upon said work-supporting arm and overlying said reservoir, a shaft rotatably journaled in said arm and longitudinally provided with a bore, a loop-taker carried by one end of said shaft and having a thread-carrier raceway, said bore having lubricant conducting connections with said raceway, a primary lubricant-conducting wick disposed in said reservoir, a sleeve journaled for turning movement in said wall of the work-supporting arm and disposed below said cover-plate, a connection-wick carried by said sleeve for turning movement therewith, said connection-wick having one end thereof extending laterally from said sleeve and disposed for engagement with said primary wick, an arm extending laterally from said sleeve beyond said cover-plate, and lubricantconducting connections between the other end of said connection-wick and the bore of said shaft.

4. In a sewing machine having a frame including a horizontally disposed work-supporting arm free at one end thereof, said arm having a transverse `wall spaced from the free end of said arm, a bushing carried by said wall, a horizontally disposed loop-taker shaft extending lengthwise of said arm and rotatably journaled in said bushing, a loop-taker carried by said shaft at the arm- 'free-end side of said wall and having a threadposed at opposite sides of said plane, lubricantconducting connections in said Wall between said reservoirs, lubricant-conducting connections between said primary reservoir and the bore of said loop-taker shaft, and lubricant conducting connections between said supplemental reservoir and the rock-shaft bearing in said Wall.

FRANK PARRY. 

